I recently got a Note 4 and rented a Gear VR from the Samsung Galaxy store to test out this new tech (I actually purchased a Gear VR but Best Buy completely screwed up the order with their shipping so I canceled it).

I’m trying to decide if I’m going to keep the Note 4 or return it and go back to my old phone under my carriers buyers remorse policy.

I love the Gear VR (with some caveats) but don’t particularly like the phone (partly maybe because it is still very new to me).

My buddy says I should return it and wait for the Note 5 to be released later this year. I’m wondering if the the Gear VR experience might be improved by then. While the 3d aspect is impressive on the Note 4 screen, I feel the picture resolution is still not adequate. The immersive experience can create a wonderful sense of atmosphere but the detail is missing - particularly when viewing objects in the distance.

How do others feel about presenting the renders they work so hard to perfect on a medium that strips those images of much of their clarity? Of course, knowing the short comings of this particular technology, one could try to work around these limits by creating scenes more specifically suited to its capabilities (which I guess is what the current competition is about).

Would it be fair to assume a Note 5 (when released) might offer better image resolution for Gear VR - or could that only come from a desk top computer ? What exactly is the limiting factor for this poor resolution - the power of the device or the headset and optics used to view the content?

Does anyone know if the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and the Gear VR Innovator edition has better resolution or clarity than the Note 4 (it is my understanding the resolutions are similar but due to the S6’s smaller screen size things appear a bit sharper).

Finally, what do you think the chances are that a Gear VR purchased for the Note 4 would work withe the Note 5?

Some other concerns of mine which I would be interested in hearing feedback on is the practicality of using the Gear VR for presentations or portfolio work. How do you think perspective clients / employers would react to someone pulling this headset out of their bag and saying “hey, put this on your head and look at my work!” Would you ask them to run through the tutorial first if they never used the device before? Would you bring additional / fresh face pads? Do you think some people (women?) would be reluctant to put on the head set because they think it might mess up their hair?

When the technology matures I can see this being huge for gaming (right now there is so much blur when one moves their head quickly I can’t image it being a pleasant gaming experience).

But what do you think some of the other practical commercial applications will be? Do you think the Gear VR’s current bulk and intrusiveness hinder them?

Having spent so much time with a cell phone pressed up against my ear, I suppose it is just a natural progression to now have it stuck to my head

I happen to own both the Note 4 with Gear VR headset and a Galaxy S6 with Gear VR headset so I can shed some light on some of your questions...

The S6 is marginally sharper than the Note 4, but both are fantastic compared to the Oculus Rift DK2. Looking between the two Gear VR headsets now, the Ira example character looks a tiny bit smaller and therefore appears a tiny bit (a few cm) further away from you on the S6 compared to the bigger screen of the Note 4.

In synthetic benchmarks the Galaxy S6/Edge is slightly better in than the Note 4. The Octane Render VR cube maps open maybe a second or two faster on the S6. This might have more to do with reading from the microSD card than processor power. They are both fast mobile devices.

The biggest difference, however, is between the two Gear VR headsets. The new Gear VR for Galaxy S6/Edge has a micro usb port on the bottom to allow power while using the Gear VR. This is particularly useful if you want to use it for an extended period of time or need it setup in an installation somewhere. This feature saves having to swap batteries like with the Note 4. The Galaxy S6/Edge both have non-removable batteries.

The Gear VR for Galaxy S6/Edge is slightly smaller and lighter than the Gear VR Note 4 version. It also has a small fan to help with fogging up the lenses, improved focus wheel and overall improved ergonomics. Samsung are still calling both of the Gear VR headsets "innovator editions" and they don't claim them to be consumer ready just yet.

Finally, for health and safety I have antibacterial wipes available and I also bought a set of vr covers http://vrcover.com to help protect the foam. This keeps the foam clean and I simply wash the covers.

from what I noticed during a month of playing with it, trying some test renders & such..well, resolution is too low..whatever way You look, but..it's enough to merge Yourself/sink into that #VR, experience metaverse ..

This tech piece is something mind-blowing/mind-bending for those who are not related with tech too much - for instance I always love to see reaction of my parents or even older people =)

diziness is still there & video content is far from being pleasant (for resolution, bluriness stitching errors, playback or mix reasons).. but static stuff (rendered in OctaneRender) looks great!

=) we stand somewhere (& that's something for sure). Limitations are not bad, but we need to understand them - when that happens (in the industry) we'll come to see more & more Great content coming out!

for Samsung..-I don't know.. (I can't step over myself, but..) I dislike that messy operating system - not a fanBoy of Apple products either (do have some), but this mess on android operating system is too much..

Curious to test things out on something like Zeiss VR One - at elast mobile OS will be more pleasant (pluss this company are good with optics..- just photo lenses are some of the best in the market..)

for the best experience I do count on that new device Oculus is going to be realeasing in the beginning of next year - from what I've read so far - that should be game changer, but..

..but You need pretty powerfull system to use it =) Guess..some stereo panoramas migh be powered by phone/ tablet/ phablet/ ultraportable - but more serious stuff will require powerfull rig to explore the content (good most of us at least in this forum do have that gear..-question how portable is that?)

Note4 vs S6 - think that later has one more advantage - it heats up less compared to note4 (in my case I have to cool device once in a while as it pops the message that device need too cool down for optimal performance, or something along those lines).

Just did first tests with S6 and GearVR after I charged the battery and set everything up.

I have nothing further to say, your honors, about the quality.

But at this point, this is not for consumers. There is no content and the price tag is way too high. Only reason I have these now, is that this is the best way to go to the clients / investors premises, knock on the door and show my work. VR can't be explained. It needs to be seen. So, if you are seriously thinking getting into VR and you need to convince investors or your clients, getting S6 and GearVR instead of a card box is a no brainer.

ristoraven wrote:..reason I have these now, is that this is the best way to go to the clients / investors premises, knock on the door and show my work. VR can't be explained. It needs to be seen. So, if you are seriously thinking getting into VR and you need to convince investors or your clients, getting S6 and GearVR instead of a card box is a no brainer.